Surely it is the Earth that Moveth

The Book of Mormon seems to be explicitly heliocentric. In a passage expressing his frustration with mankind, Mormon writes about God (with an apparent allusion to Joshua):

14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done;

15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun. (Helaman 12:14-15)

What is this kind of statement doing in a document that purports to be ancient? Did the Nephites understand the workings of the solar system better than most of the ancients? Is it an anachronism that gives away Joseph as a fraud? Or is it possible that the scientific clarification was a commentary made during the translation process?

In the latest issue of BYU Studies, David Grandy argues that none of the above are correct. In his article, "Why Things Move: A New Look at Helaman 12:15" (subscription required), Grandy draws on the work of John Walton to contend that this is a case of our failure to understand ancient ways of thinking. We are the children of Newton, who think of matter as inanimate and passively following physical laws, like machines. God doesn't need to push the earth around the sun, gravity does that. In contrast, the ancients saw God's hand in all aspects of the world, including motion. If we look at the larger context of Mormon's statement, we see that he emphasizes that everything on earth obeys and moves according to God's command--except man. The verses surrounding 14 and 15 are all about how various parts of the earth (dust, hills, mountains, water) move, shake, part, rock, dry, etc, as commanded.

Grandy writes:

Rather than confirming Copernican cosmology, this verse suggests that Mormon is invoking Joshua’s event, not because Joshua’s account is scientifically inaccurate and therefore in need of correction, but because it reinforces Mormon’s own admonition that humans, being indigenous to the earth (their bodies made of the dust of the earth), should follow the many examples of responsive obedience they witness among things with which they are intimate—dust, hills, mountains, the foundation of the earth, the great deep, and so on.

This is all well and good, but Mormon specifically says, "the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still...for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun." Grandy notes that although this sounds like it assumes axial rotation and orbiting, those are assumptions that we bring to the passage. If he was like other ancients, Mormon did not share our concept of a sphere sitting in space. He would instead have pictured something like the picture to the left [image source]. The focus in these verses is on movements of the earth; it can move back and forth, and thus "goeth back." The contrast drawn with the sun is simply tailoring language to keep focus on the earth.

I'm not sure whether I buy this. I am quite sympathetic to attributing differences between scripture and science to differences in culture and worldview, so when Grandy asserts that Mormon did not share our scientific outlook, I'm on board. My trouble is that verse 15 is so suggestive to me of Copernican motion. If I try to empty my head of orbits and revolutions, does Mormon's statement make sense given the context? I guess it kind of does--maybe I just need to get used to it. I think it helps to keep in mind that Mormon referred to "the earth," not "Earth." That's a subtle but perhaps important difference.

I don't know whether he is right or not, but I think Grandy's argument is at least worth considering.

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Modern Mormonism: Revisiting the Church's Pragmatic View

A few weeks ago I highlighted a quote from a news article in which a Church spokesman said something to the effect that the Church takes a pragmatic view of science-religion conflicts. That quotation is now contained in a larger commentary, Mormon and Modern, posted on the Church's Newsroom site. I think it's worth quoting at length (footnotes removed).

For Mormons, there need not be a conflict between devotion to one’s faith and meaningful participation in modern society. Faithful Latter-day Saints are currently engaged in education, science, business, the arts and political life. In a pluralistic world, modern sensibilities tend to compartmentalize spheres of human activity. But Mormon thought encourages integration. Individual character, for example, should not be divorced from public character. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled: “Avoid compartmentalizing your life into segments that apply to profession, to Church, and to family, using different standards in each segment. Your life is a continuum where the same standards of integrity and hard work apply to every aspect of your life.”

Later:

Mormons welcome truth from whatever source and take the pragmatic view that where religion and science seem to clash, it is simply because there is insufficient data to reconcile the two. Latter-day Saints approach such tensions as challenges to learn, not contradictions to avoid.

This productive tension can enrich both mind and heart. All understanding, whether spiritual or rational, is worked out in constant questioning and discovery. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “By proving contraries, truth is made manifest.” Latter-day Saints do not expect God to simply hand down information. He expects us to wrestle with the complications of life through prayerful searching and sound thinking. “You must study it out in your mind,” Mormon scripture teaches, and then answers will come. This pattern of inquiry opens Mormons to expanding spiritual possibilities.

While the ultimate aims of religious and secular life do not always align, Mormons “follow the admonition of Paul” by seeking after anything that is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy,” whatever the source may be. Embracing a world full of truth and meaning, Latter-day Saints aspire to heed the call of Joseph Smith to “gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up.” President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has encouraged “a harmonious combining of both the intellect and the spirit.” Mormons, therefore, do not compartmentalize one truth from another.

This is aspirational stuff. It was brought to my attention by Dave's Mormon Inquiry, where Dave notes (emphasis in original):

If there is something to criticize in the essay, it is that it does not, perhaps, represent the actual approach that many Latter-day Saints and LDS teachers of religion have taken or do now take to faith versus science issues....

Wouldn't it be great if essays like this were reprinted in the Ensign? That's such an obvious move it's hard to understand why it isn't just standard practice. Still, this broad-minded essay is another step forward.

Here, here! Dave's broader criticism is that Newsroom statements may not be filtering down to average members. So until the Church starts putting these things on LDS.org, my advice is to become familiar with them and maybe keep a copy in your preferred electronic device. You may then confidently reference them in Sunday School, or wherever.

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